Lesser adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus)

/ Rama Neelamegam

Binomial name origin: Lepto means thin or slender and ptilos means down or soft feather. Javanicus means belonging to Java

Lesser adjutant or haircrested adjutant belongs to the stork family. It is a solitary bird, very shy and stays away from humans. It is found in wetlands in agricultural fields and coastal mudflats, and mangroves.

Lesser adjutant
Lesser adjutant
The breeding plumage of a Lesser adjutant with a reddish face and orange neck
The breeding plumage of a Lesser adjutant with a reddish face and orange neck

They feed  on fish, frogs, reptiles, large invertebrates, rodents, small mammals like rats etc. In India they are found in eastern states like Assam, West Bengal, Orissa and Bihar

I saw this bareheaded beauty in fields adjoining the Bhitarkanika NP in Odisha.